1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable absorbent articles and more particularly to female sanitary napkins. Particularly, the present invention concerns sanitary napkins offering enhanced fit and comfort through a construction which promotes a continuously self-conforming anatomical cooperation of the sanitary napkin to the wearer to yield a highly effective absorbent device.
2. Background Art
All manner and variety of absorbent articles configured for the absorption of body fluids such as menses, urine and feces are, of course, well known. With respect to feminine protection devices, the art has offered two basic types; sanitary napkins have been developed for external wear about the pudendal region while tampons have been developed for internal wear within the vaginal cavity for interruption of menstrual flow therefrom. Such tampon devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,833, entitled "Tampon Applicator", which patent issued to Wiegner et al. on Nov. 1, 1983, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,986, entitled "Tampon Assembly With Means For Sterile Insertion", which patent issued to Jacobs on Nov. 8, 1983.
Hybrid devices which attempt to merge the structural features of the sanitary napkins and the tampons into a single device have also been proposed. Such hybrid devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,346, entitled "Catamenial Pad", which patent issued to Arone on Sep. 7, 1937, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,372, entitled "Feminine Hygiene Protective Shield", which patent issued to Denkinger on Sep. 16, 1975. Other less intrusive hybrid devices are known as labial or interlabial sanitary napkins and are characterized by having a portion which at least partially resides within the wearer's vestibule and a portion which at least partially resides external of the wearer's vestibule. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,527, entitled "Sanitary Pad", which patent issued to Jacks on Dec. 15, 1953, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,062, entitled "Labial Sanitary Pad", which patent issued to Lassen et al. on Dec. 23, 1986.
With respect to sanitary napkins, at least three general classes of design exist. One such design includes those sanitary napkins which are generally cupped or boat-shaped and which are intended to catch menses as it runs or drips from the vaginal orifice. These sanitary napkins generally bow downwards, when worn, thus forming a cup-shape. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,493, entitled "Sanitary Towel", which patent issued to Olson on Mar. 16, 1971, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,759, entitled "Reduced Leakage Menstrual Pad With Built-In Fold Lines", which patent issued to Romans-Hess et al. on Apr. 7, 1987. A disposable urinary incontinence device which functions under the same principal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,914, entitled "Disposable Urinary Pad", which patent issued to Holtman on Aug. 11, 1987.
A second class of sanitary napkin designs include those that are raised upwardly or humped in their medial portions so as to be near or in contact with the pudendal region when worn. These sanitary napkins attempt to contact and absorb menses immediately as it leaves the vestibule. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,064,431, entitled "Catamenial Bandage", which patent issued to Jurgensen on Dec. 15, 1936, U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,575, entitled "Catamenial Bandages", which patent issued to Mercer on May 29, 1956, U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,174, entitled "Sanitary Napkin", which patent issued to Mogor on Apr. 20, 1971, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,177, entitled "Three-Dimensional Shaped Feminine Pad With Narrow, Absorbent Center and Winged Edges", which patent issued to Ellis et al. on Oct. 20, 1987.
The third class of sanitary napkin designs include those that are not predisposed to have a trough or a hump shape when worn, but instead have a more or less rope-like shape when worn. Such sanitary napkins typically have a fluff pulp absorbent core surrounded by flexible outer wraps and when the sanitary napkin is subjected to compressive forces from the wearer's thighs the fluff pulp core simply compacts or bunches into an arbitrary, but generally rope-like shape. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,091, entitled "Sanitary Napkin", which patent issued to Morse on Dec. 27, 1966, U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,040, entitled "Smooth-Edged Contoured Sanitary Napkin", which patent issued to Luceri on Mar. 31, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,478, entitled "Shaped Sanitary Napkin With Flaps", which patent issued to Van Tilburg on Aug. 18, 1987. Attempts have been made to prevent the bunching effect of such compaction type sanitary napkins by providing them with a form-retaining member. Such sanitary napkins are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,634, entitled "Sanitary Napkin With Resilient Stiffening Means", which patent issued to DiSalvo et al. on Apr. 1, 1980, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,326, entitled "Catamenial Bandage", which patent issued to Lenaghan on Sep. 20, 1983.
While the sanitary napkins and other devices discussed above do provide some measure of success in absorbing and containing body exudates, they fail to address the need for a sanitary napkin which by the mere act of putting it on will itself merge in with, closely conform to and fit exactly the cross sectional outline of the pudendal region as soon as applied without requiring the usual bending, twisting or other adjustments or manipulations, and which will always retain such conformity simply due to its flexure-resistant, reformable and resilient characteristics.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin which by the mere act of putting it on will itself merge in with, closely conform to, and fit exactly the cross-sectional outline of the external surfaces of the pudendal region.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin which will change its shape so as to conform to the changing shape of the pudendal region when the wearer is running, squatting, crossing her legs, etc.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistant deformation element which causes the body surface of the sanitary napkin to remain in intimate contact with the external surfaces of the labia majora.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistant deformation element wherein the body surface of the napkin has a convex upward configuration when the napkin is subjected to the lateral compressive forces of the wearer's thighs.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin having a flexure-resistant deformation element wherein the body surface of the napkin is generally cupped-shaped in the front region, generally "W" shaped in the central region and generally inverted "V" shaped in the back region of the napkin.
These and other objectives of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.